Electromagnetic pump for wells



June 10, 1958 R. E. CHILDS 2,833,004

ELECTROMAGNETIC PUMP FOR WELLS Filed Feb. 2, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Roy E. Chi/d5 INVENTOR.

R. E. CHILDS ELECTROMAGNETIC PUMP FOR WELLS June 10, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 2, 1956 Fl"f" Ray E. Chi/d8 INVENTOR.

BY MM FM United States Patent 9 2,838,004 ELECTROMAGNETIC PUMP FOR WELLS Ray E. Childs, Winfield, Karts. Application February 2, 1956, Serial No. 563,669 9 Claims. (Cl. 103-38) the pumping of fluids from deep wells, and which shall eliminate the necessity for the conventional relatively long and heavy sucker or pumping rods commonly employed in deep well pumping operations.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pumping device in accordance with the foregoing object in which the stroke of the pump may be readily adjusted and varied as desired.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully, hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accornpanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughougand in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of a well bore showing the manner in which the pumping device in accordance with this invention has been incorprated into a pump tubing therein;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken upon an enlarged scale substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 22 of Figure l and showing the construction of the pump body and the upper electromagnetic operating means for the same;

Figure 3 is a vertical central sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 3-3 of Figure 1 and showing theintern-al construction of the lower electromagnetic operating means for the pump body and the standing valve assembly of the device; and

Figures 4 and 5 "are horizontal sectional views taken substantially upon the planes indicated by the section lines 44 and 5-5 and looking respectively in the directions indicated by the arrows thereon.

In the accompanying drawings, which are illustrative only of the principles of the invention, there is disclosed a well bore 19 which if desired may be provided with a well casing 12. Disposed in this casing is a pump or flow tubing 14 of any conventional type, which in accordance with this invention is provided with an outer tubular housing 16 which extends over at least a predetermined portion of the tubing with which the pumping device of the present invention is to be associated. An insulating coating of any suitable non-magnetic material is provided between the tubing 14 and the housing 16.

At any convenient position in the tubing, in accordance with the particular requirements of the installation, there is disposed an electromagnetic pumping device in accordance with this invention. Although the drawings illustrate the application of but one such device to a pump tubing, it will be understood that a number of such devices may be disposed in series in the tubing, if desired, depending ICC upon the depth from which the fluid, whether liquid or mixed gas and liquid is to be pumped.

Each such pumping unit consists of a reciprocable pump body indicated generally by the numeral 20 and slidably received in the pump tubing, together with upper and lower electromagnetic pump operators 22 and 24, respectively. Also associated with the pumping device is a standing valve assembly designated generally by the numeral 26. a

The structure of the pump body, the upper and lower electromagnetic pump operators and of the standing valve assembly is shown in the enlarged detail views of Figures 2 and 3.

Referring first to Figure 2, it will be seen that the pump body 20 consists of a central tube which is open at both of its ends and upon which are threaded series of alternate pump disks or cups 32 together with cup spacers 34. The series of cups and spacers are clamped together upon the tube 30 by an upper member 36 and by a lower member consisting of a fastening nut 38 and of a sleeve 40 internally threaded at both ends, and constituting a valve cage for the working valve of the pump and a lower member 42. The lower member 42 has an exteriorly threaded upwardly extending sleeve portion 44 whose upper end constitutes a valve seat cooperating with a ball valve 46 loosely received in the valve cage. The pump body 20 is freely reciprocable in the tubing 14.

As so far described it will be apparent that upon a downward stroke of the pump body, fluid in the pump tubing may flow upwardly through the valve cage, past the valve seat and through the'tube 3t) and to the upper side of the pump, while upon the upward stroke of the pump the valve 46 will be seated and all of the fluid above the valve and above the pump body will be forced upwardly in the pump tubing.

The members 36 and 42 are preferably of soft iron or other magnetizable material and constitute armatures which are adapted to be attracted to the electromagnetic operating means 22 and 24 previously mentioned, in order to cause vertical reciprocation of-the valve body.

Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, it will be seen that the upper andlower electromagnetic actuating elements are of identical but inverted construction. Consequently, the same numerals have been applied to the same components of eachof the electromagnetic operating elements.

Each of these elements includes a suitable form of electromagnet consisting of a coil or winding 50 which surroundsa soft iron core 52 and is in turn surrounded by a cylindrical housing 54.

One end of the elcctromagnet is secured as by suitable screws 56 to a support 58, the latter consisting of a circular body or disk of a suitable non-magnetic material and having external screw threads engaged with the internal screw threads 64 formed in the pump tubing 14. Suitable bores 62 extending through the support 58 provide means for the flow of fluid past the electromagnets and their supports, whereby fluid may be drawn through the standing valve into the pumping unit of the flow tubing and may be discharged through the pump body and from the upper electromagnetic unit through the pump tubing to the surface.

The other extremity of the soft iron core 52 of the electromagnet is provided with a pole piece 64 which is adapted to cooperate with the armature 36 or 42 of the pump body.

As so far described, it will thus be observed that when the electromagnets are energized in alternation, the pump body will be alternately reciprocated, and thus through the fluid passage means within the pump body, through the standing valve assembly and through the supports of 3 e the electromagnetic units, fluid will be forced through the pump tubing to the surface.

In order to supply electric current to the electromagnets for actuation of'the'same, there are provided a pair of sleeves, one of which is shown at 79 in Figure l and 3, these sleeves being positioned above the upper electromagnetic unit 22 and below the lower magnetic unit 24. The sleeves extend through the pump tubing 14, and the housing 16 and permit the passage of an electric conductor '72 therethrough, a suitable 5 "ing means, not shown, being provided betwce the ductor and the tube 79 and the members through which it passes. As shown in Figure 1, the electric conductor 72 may conveniently be disposed between the outer housing 16 and the well casing 16, and exten surface, where it may be operatively associated witl suitable automatic switch mechanism for energizing the upper and lower electromagnetic units in alternation.

Referring now especially to Figure 3, it will be seen that the standing valve assembly 26 is similar in construction to the pump body, consisting of a central tube 8i} having thereon series of alternate top disks or cups 32 and spacers 84 similar to the elements 32 and 34 previously described. A valve cage 3-6 secured to the upper end of the tube 89 and a bushing 83 secured to the lower end of the tube serve to clamp the cups and spacers therebetween. A support 99 externally threaded for engagement with the internal threads of the pump tubing 14 serves to support and hold the stationary standing valve assembly in place.

The member 86 constitutes a valve cage and retains therein a ball valve 92 which seats upon the upper end of the tube 80, suitable openings 94 permitting the passage of fluid past the ball valve and into the chamber between the standing valve assembly and the lower elcc tromagnetic unit and its support.

. Itis to be observed that by means of the threaded engagements of the supports 5a of the upper and lower electromagnetic units 22 and 2d, and of the support 9-3 of the standing valve assembly 26, the distance or vertical 'lift between the standing valve assembly and the support of the lower electromagnetic unit which constitutes the inlet side of the pump member, and the stroke of the pump body can be readily adjusted and also varied as to their positions in the pump tubing.

By the present device the customary lengthy sucker or pump rods with all the problems involved by their great length and weight, are eliminated. By this construction the pump units may be of substantially the entire diameter of the well casing, and may be readily positioned at such vertical positions therein as may be found necessary.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will eadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An electromagnetic pump for wells comprising a pump tubing adapted for disposition in a well bore for delivering fluid therefrom, a standing valve assembly stationarily mounted in a lower portion of said tubing,

a pump body reciprocable in an upper portion of said tubing and having a fluid passage therethrough, a working valve assembly carried by said body and controlling flow through said passage upon reciprocation of said body in said tubing, said pump body having magneticable armatures mounted upon its top and bottom, a pair of electromagnets disposed in and directly carried by said tubing above and below said body and in spaced endwise relation thereto and engageable by the same upon reciprocation of said body, supports in said tubing carrying said clectromagnets, means for the flow of fluid in said tubing past said supports, means for supplying electric energy to said electromagnets for operating the same.

2. The combination of claim 1 including means for adiustin the electromagnets relative to each other for varying the stroke of the pump body.

3. The combination of claim 1 including means for adjusting the electromagnets relative to eacn other for varying the stroke of the pump body, said last means in cluding cooperating threads on the suuports and on the tubing.

4. The combination of claim 1 including a tubular housing surrounding at least that portion of the pump tubing receiving the pump body and said supports, an

insulating lining of non-magnetic material disposed between the housing and the pump tubing.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said pump body comprises a central tube defining the fluid passage through the body, a plurality of pump cups and spacers disposed alternately upon the tube to define said body, members on the ends of said tube clamping said cups and spacers therebetween and constituting said armatures.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said pump body comprises a central tube defining the fluid passage through the body, a plurality of pump cups and spacers disposed alternately upon the tube to define said body, members on the ends of said tube clamping said cups and spacers therebetween and constituting said armatures, said working valve assembly being interposed between one of said members and said body.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said pump body comprises a central tube defining the fluid passage through the body, a plurality of pump cups and spacers disposed alternately upon the tube to define said body, members on the ends of said tube clamping said cups and spacers therebetween and constituting said armatures, said working valve assembly including a hollow cage secured upon one end of said tube, one of said members being directly attached to said cage.

8. The combination of claim 1 wherein said supports have bores therethrough constituting said means for the flow of fluid.

9. The combination of claim 1 including a tubular housing surrounding at least that portion of the pump tubing receiving the pump body and said supports, an insulating lining of non-magnetic material disposed between the housing and the pump tubing, sleeves extend ing through the tubing and housing, said energy supplying means including electric conductors extending through and sealed in said tubes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

